curl reports host key mismatch as missing key over libssh2
Key facts
- Attack vector
- Network
- Privileges required
- None
- User interaction
- None
- Attack complexity
- High
- Impact type
- Spoofing
- Confidentiality · integrity · availability
- High · High · None
- Fix status
- Fixed
Attack profile from CVSS 3.1 · CISA ADP. Fix status from CNA and Red Hat. Impact type from CWE-295.
Summary
Affected are the individually listed curl releases from 7.69.1 to 8.22.0 when libcurl uses libssh2. When libcurl uses libssh2 with a hashed known_hosts file, an unrelated initial entry makes a host key mismatch appear as a missing key to the CURLOPT_SSH_KEYFUNCTION callback (CWE-295). A remote attacker needs no privileges and no user interaction but must overcome high attack complexity, which can lead to high loss of confidentiality and integrity.
Written with Claude Haiku 5.5 from the sources below · 2026-10-30
Description from the CNA
When libcurl uses libssh2 with a hashed `known_hosts` file, an unrelated initial entry can cause host key validation to report a key *mismatch* as a *missing* key to the `CURLOPT_SSH_KEYFUNCTION` callback.
Why it matters now
SSVC decision points
CISA ADP · SSVC 2.0.3
- Exploitation
- Poc
- Automatable
- No
- Technical impact
- Total
The decision (Track, Attend, Act) also depends on your mission and well-being impact; see CISA's SSVC guide.
Affected products
| Vendor | Product | Affected versions | Fixed in | Status | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| curl | curl | 8.22.0 – 8.22.0; 8.21.0 – 8.21.0; 8.20.0 – 8.20.0; 8.19.0 – 8.19.0; 8.18.0 – 8.18.0; 8.17.0 – 8.17.0; 8.16.0 – 8.16.0; 8.15.0 – 8.15.0; 8.14.1 – 8.14.1; 8.14.0 – 8.14.0; 8.13.0 – 8.13.0; 8.12.1 – 8.12.1; 8.12.0 – 8.12.0; 8.11.1 – 8.11.1; 8.11.0 – 8.11.0; 8.10.1 – 8.10.1; 8.10.0 – 8.10.0; 8.9.1 – 8.9.1; 8.9.0 – 8.9.0; 8.8.0 – 8.8.0; 8.7.1 – 8.7.1; 8.7.0 – 8.7.0; 8.6.0 – 8.6.0; 8.5.0 – 8.5.0; 8.4.0 – 8.4.0; 8.3.0 – 8.3.0; 8.2.1 – 8.2.1; 8.2.0 – 8.2.0; 8.1.2 – 8.1.2; 8.1.1 – 8.1.1; 8.1.0 – 8.1.0; 8.0.1 – 8.0.1; 8.0.0 – 8.0.0; 7.88.1 – 7.88.1; 7.88.0 – 7.88.0; 7.87.0 – 7.87.0; 7.86.0 – 7.86.0; 7.85.0 – 7.85.0; 7.84.0 – 7.84.0; 7.83.1 – 7.83.1; 7.83.0 – 7.83.0; 7.82.0 – 7.82.0; 7.81.0 – 7.81.0; 7.80.0 – 7.80.0; 7.79.1 – 7.79.1; 7.79.0 – 7.79.0; 7.78.0 – 7.78.0; 7.77.0 – 7.77.0; 7.76.1 – 7.76.1; 7.76.0 – 7.76.0; 7.75.0 – 7.75.0; 7.74.0 – 7.74.0; 7.73.0 – 7.73.0; 7.72.0 – 7.72.0; 7.71.1 – 7.71.1; 7.71.0 – 7.71.0; 7.70.0 – 7.70.0; 7.69.1 – 7.69.1 | — | No fix listed | CNA |
- curl Vendorcurl Affected 8.22.0 – 8.22.0; 8.21.0 – 8.21.0; 8.20.0 – 8.20.0; 8.19.0 – 8.19.0; 8.18.0 – 8.18.0; 8.17.0 – 8.17.0; 8.16.0 – 8.16.0; 8.15.0 – 8.15.0; 8.14.1 – 8.14.1; 8.14.0 – 8.14.0; 8.13.0 – 8.13.0; 8.12.1 – 8.12.1; 8.12.0 – 8.12.0; 8.11.1 – 8.11.1; 8.11.0 – 8.11.0; 8.10.1 – 8.10.1; 8.10.0 – 8.10.0; 8.9.1 – 8.9.1; 8.9.0 – 8.9.0; 8.8.0 – 8.8.0; 8.7.1 – 8.7.1; 8.7.0 – 8.7.0; 8.6.0 – 8.6.0; 8.5.0 – 8.5.0; 8.4.0 – 8.4.0; 8.3.0 – 8.3.0; 8.2.1 – 8.2.1; 8.2.0 – 8.2.0; 8.1.2 – 8.1.2; 8.1.1 – 8.1.1; 8.1.0 – 8.1.0; 8.0.1 – 8.0.1; 8.0.0 – 8.0.0; 7.88.1 – 7.88.1; 7.88.0 – 7.88.0; 7.87.0 – 7.87.0; 7.86.0 – 7.86.0; 7.85.0 – 7.85.0; 7.84.0 – 7.84.0; 7.83.1 – 7.83.1; 7.83.0 – 7.83.0; 7.82.0 – 7.82.0; 7.81.0 – 7.81.0; 7.80.0 – 7.80.0; 7.79.1 – 7.79.1; 7.79.0 – 7.79.0; 7.78.0 – 7.78.0; 7.77.0 – 7.77.0; 7.76.1 – 7.76.1; 7.76.0 – 7.76.0; 7.75.0 – 7.75.0; 7.74.0 – 7.74.0; 7.73.0 – 7.73.0; 7.72.0 – 7.72.0; 7.71.1 – 7.71.1; 7.71.0 – 7.71.0; 7.70.0 – 7.70.0; 7.69.1 – 7.69.1 Fixed in — No fix listed CNA
Remediation
The sources list no fixed version for curl. Red Hat lists Red Hat Hardened Images as fixed in advisory RHSA-2026:82895.
Written with Claude Haiku 5.5 from the sources below · 2026-10-30
Red Hat 1 advisory
- RHSA-2026:82895 Released 2026-10-14 · Red Hat rating ImportantRed Hat Hardened Images RPMs bug fix and enhancement update
- Red Hat Hardened Images curl-8.23.0-0.1.hum1@aarch64, curl-8.23.0-0.1.hum1@s390x, curl-8.23.0-0.1.hum1@src +10
Vendor assessments
Red Hat
Red Hat rating: Low. Red Hat's page for this CVE →
| Product | Status | Plan or fix |
|---|---|---|
| Red Hat Hardened Images | Fixed | RHSA-2026:82895 |
Not affected: 8 products
- Red Hat Enterprise Linux 10
- Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6
- Red Hat Enterprise Linux 7
- Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8
- Red Hat Enterprise Linux 9
- Red Hat Hardened Images
- Red Hat JBoss Core Services
- Red Hat Satellite 6
Timeline
- 2026-10-21 Threatist record created from CVE-2026-87865
- 2026-10-21 Alias added: GHSA-4cqc-m8hm-7c9j
- 2026-10-23 Affected versions changed · Red Hat
- 2026-10-30 CVSS score added · CISA ADP
- 2026-10-30 Weakness changed · CISA ADP
- 2026-10-30 CISA SSVC decision points changed
- 2026-10-30 Priority changed: LOW → HIGH
More curl vulnerabilities
- TI-2023-19922 Out-of-bounds write in curl CVSS 3.1CRITICAL 9.8
- TI-2026-16162 Negotiate ambient user conn reuse CVSS 3.1CRITICAL 9.8
- TI-2026-10231 cross-origin Digest auth state leak CVSS 3.1CRITICAL 9.8
- TI-2026-09063 HTTP/2 stream-dependency tree UAF CVSS 3.1CRITICAL 9.8
- TI-2026-07976 stale proxy password leak CVSS 3.1CRITICAL 9.8
- TI-2026-07845 SASL double-free CVSS 3.1CRITICAL 9.8
Sources
- CVE-2026-87865 · CVE Program
- CVE-2026-87865 · NVD
- FIRST EPSS
- GHSA-4cqc-m8hm-7c9j · GitHub Advisory Database · CC BY 4.0
- CVE-2026-87865 · Red Hat security data · CC BY 4.0
This product uses the NVD API but is not endorsed or certified by the NVD. Sources and licences